Stanford University
Showing 11-20 of 31 Results
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Joe Kesler
Ph.D. Student in Biology, admitted Autumn 2024
BioI am a Ph.D. student studying evolutionary ecology and biogeography in the Daru Lab. My research focuses on how species assemblages evolve and shift with changing environments across temporal and spatial scales. My current project integrates biogeographic analyses and phylogenetic data to understand the evolutionary and ecological forces shaping the biodiversity of the world's marine life.
In June 2023, I received a B.S. in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution from UC San Diego, where I worked primarily with Professor Elsa Cleland, researching the demography of the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and how its traits vary across different climates within the state. I also participated in two other labs, broadly investigating plant-pollinator interactions and plant genetics respectively. After graduating, I assisted the Green Biome Institute at CSU East Bay by collecting DNA samples of endangered California plant species, followed by work as a habitat restoration technician for Recon Environmental in the marshes around the San Francisco Bay Area.
In the Daru Lab, I am excited to investigate how marine species respond to environmental changes over varied timescales, with the ultimate goal of informing habitat restoration management and conserving biodiversity worldwide. -
Rajnish Khanna, Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist, Biology
BioRajnish Khanna, M.Sc., Ph.D., is a plant molecular biologist and photobiologist whose research spans plant signaling, photomorphogenesis, plant-microbe interactions, crop biology, and translational plant science. He is a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Biology at Stanford University.
Khanna received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Plant Molecular Biology) from Purdue University. His research career has included work at the University of California, Berkeley; Mendel Biotechnology; and the Carnegie Institution for Science, where he was a Carnegie Fellow and later Senior Investigator. His research has examined light-regulated plant development, phytochrome signaling, crop productivity, plant-microbe interactions, and the translation of fundamental plant biology to agricultural applications.
Khanna is also Founder and CEO of i-Cultiver, Inc., an agricultural research company that connects fundamental plant science with product development and applied agricultural research. He teaches biology and biotechnology as adjunct faculty at Contra Costa College and is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Urban Green Project, a nonprofit focused on science education, sustainable food systems, and community engagement.
His broader scientific interests include the biological foundations of perception and consciousness and the application of photobiology to questions about how living systems perceive and respond to their environment. He is also the host of TerreScience, a science conversation series exploring biology, agriculture, health, consciousness, and the relationship between human and planetary health.
